Animated amusement device



Oct. 30, 1962 w. H. WAGNER 3,050,632

ANIMATED AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed June 9, 1960 any. 5. my. 4.

INVENToR. W/L/AM A. Manuf/e Arran/vm' United States Patent O 3,060,632 ANIMATED AMUSEMENT DEVICE William H. Wagner, Wagner Amusement Enterprises, P.0. Box 392, Independence, Kans. Filed June 9, 1960, Ser. No. 35,006 4 Claims. (Cl. 46-137) This invention relates to an amusement device and more particularly to a dancing toy.

Many elforts have been made to create an animated toy figure or the like to simulate a dancing effect wherein the ligure includes loosely hung legs supported over a vibrating apparatus. None of these eiforts have created a toy wherein the dancing could be controlled to music.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an amusement device or dancing toy wherein the appara-tus for causing the animation can be adjusted to move the feet of the toy in time with music, and to regulate the animation of the toy.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a cage for the dancing toy mounted within a housing and movable within the housing to adjust the beat of the animating mechanism with respect to the toy; to provide a motor driven disk means for operating a friction wheel for rotating a roller on a crank arm for contacting the animating paddle for the toy; to provide adjusting means on the shaft of the friction wheel member for changing the speed of the animating roller, and to provide a device of this character simple and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of this invention willV become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the animated dancing toy shown in the housing therefor.

FIG. 2 is a back view with parts broken away to illustrate parts of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross sectional View taken on a line 3 3, FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on a line 4 4, FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional partly `fragmentary View of the adjusting screw and ball bearing contact with the shaft upon which the friction wheel is mounted.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a dancing toy embodying the features of my invention mounted within a housing 2 having sides 3 and 4, a back 5 and a front 6, the front having an opening 7 through which the toy 1 may be viewed.

The housing includes uprights 8 and 9 in the respective back corners and are provided with elongated grooves 10 and 11. Mounted for vertically sliding movement in the housing 2 is a cage 12 comprising a lower horizontal member 13 and an upper horizontal member 14 spaced apart by uprights 15 and 16. The outer ends of the horizontal members 13 and 14 are provided with outwardly extending dowels or pins 17 and 18 which engage within the slots 10 and 11 for slidably mounting the cage in the uprights `8 and 9.

The dancing toy 1 includes a body 19, legs 20 and '21 and feet 22 and 23. The llegs are jointed at the knees and the upper ends thereof are pivotally mounted. toV

the body 19 as indicated at 24 by suitable means such as a pin or the like. The dancing toy is mounted on the cross member 14 by a resilient rod 25 having one end attached to the body of the toy and its yother end attached to the cross member 14. The housing includes a back board 24 having `va slot 2 5through which to rotate in a clockwise direction and theV friction Wheel' 51 in `a clockwise direction as shown by the arrow;4 in FIG. .3.

the rod 25 extends. The end 26 of the rod 25 is turned laterally downwardly over the cross bar 14 and held in place by a clamp 27 by studs or the like 23. A clamp 29 is positioned across the top of the rod and secured to the cross member`14 by studs 30 to resiliently mount the toy 1 on the cage 12.

Mounted on the underneath side of the cross member 13 is a bracket 31 having a depending lthreaded shank 32 extending through openings 33 and 34 in spaced plates 35 and 36 of a bracket member 37 mounted on the `cross member 38 and the bottom 39 of the housing 2. as best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Mounted on the threaded shank 32 between the plates 35 and 36 is `a threaded knurled hand nut 39' whereby turning of the hand nut 39 will cause the cage to move upwardly or downwardly in the housing as later described.

Mounted on the cross member 13 at substantially the center thereof by stud bolts or the like 40 and extending towards the front face 6 of the housing is a paddle member 41 which is preferably made of a somewhat springy material such as plastic, plyboard or the like. The forward end of the paddle 41 is widened as indicated at 42 (FIG. l) and adapted to engage the bottom of the feet 22 and 23 of the toy to give animation thereto.

The actuating mechanism for the animated toy is located in the bottom compartment of the housing and consists of a motor 43 mounted upon a plate y44 located on the bottom 39. The motor includes a shaft 45 and drive wheel 46 having an operating face 47. Mounted on the board 44 and spaced from the motor 43 by brackets 48 and 49 is a shaft 50 upon which is mounted a friction wheel 51 preferably including a face of hard rubber or the like 52 which engages against the face 47 of thedrive wheel 46. Mounted on the end 52pof the shaft 50 is an arm 53 on the outer end of which is mounted a short shaft 54 and extending outwardly away from the Wheel 51 is a wheel 55 having a facing of a resilient material 56 such as foam rubber or the like. The wheel. 55 is adapted to engage the underneath side of the paddle board 41 to animate the toy 1 as hereinafter described.

The shaft 50 extends outwardly from the bracket 48 and the end thereof is flat as indicated a-t 57 (FIG. 5). Mounted on the inside of the side wall 3 is -an ar-m or bracket 58 having threaded opening 59 for receiving the threaded shank 60 of a pin 61. The other end of the threaded shank 60 is concaved as indicated at 62 (FIG. 5). Adapted to engage in the concave faceV 62 ofthe pin 61 is a ball bearing 63 held in place by a lip 62V on the concave portion of the pin 61. By adjusting the pin 61 by turning the same either to .the right or to the left the shaft 50 which is loosely mounted in the brackets 48 and 49 is moved laterally with respect to the face 47 of the drive wheel 46 carrying with it the wheel 51. It will 'be noted in FIG. 3 the wheel 51V contacts the face 47 of the wheel 46 above the horizontal center line thereof and in FIG. 2 the wheel 51 is shown contacting the face 47 of the wheel 46 to the le'ft of the center of the shaft 45 upon which the wheel 46 is mounted; hence the component of force caused by contact of the wheels is always-to the left or outside portion of lthe drive wheel 46'holdingthe end 57 of theshaft S0` against the ball bearing 63 due to slidable mounting'of the shaft 50. Y A

A switch 64 is providedfor the motor 43 which has 'a connection to a source of supply (not shown)l for en-A ergizing said motor. Y Y A Operationof a toy `constructed and assembled as described is as follows: Y

Energization of the motorA 43 causes the drive wheel 46 As the friction wheel-51 rotates the arm 53 carries the sponge-faced roller 55 in contact with the bottom of the paddle member 41 causing it to move upwardly as shown in dotted lines at 65 (FIG. 3). Thus contact is made with the feet 22 and 23 at a different angle thus moving the feet alternately to get an animation of the body 19 and legs 20 and 21 through -the spring action of the rod 25 as well as the paddle member 41.

The speed of the animation of the character so that it will follow in time to the music (not shown) is controlled by the movement of the wheel 51 with respect to the drive wheel 46. Movement of the wheel laterally with respect to the housing is controlled by the pin 61. Turning of the pin in a clockwise direction will move the shaft 50 with the wheel 51 rigidly mounted thereon to the right as shown in FIG. 2 towards the center of the wheel 46 which also rotates in a clockwise direction viewed from FIG. 2. If the wheel 51 is nearer the center of the face 47 of the wheel 46, the speed of rotation of the wheel 51 is slower and thus movement of the arm 53 with the wheel 55 thereon will contact the paddle board 41 less frequently. Movement of the wheel to the left as viewed in FIG. 2 by rotation of the pin 61 in an anticlockwise direction will cause the wheel 51 to move to the outer circumferential surface of the face 47 of the wheel 46 due to the component of force of the contact therewith to speed the operation of the wheel 51 and thus striking of the paddle board 41 by the wheel 51 more frequently.

To get increased animation of the toy 1 the cage 12 may be moved downwardly towards the wheel 55 by rotation of the hand wheel 39 in an anticlockwise direction to move the cage downwardly in the housing. For less animation of the character and softer striking of the wheel 55 on the bottom of the paddle board 51 is accomplished by moving the cage upwardly in the housing by turning the hand wheel 49 to the right or clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2.

The dancing toy 1 also has arms 66 and 67 pivotally connected to the body 19 which will swing upon animation of the toy.

While I have here shown the animated character as a Santa Claus, it will be obvious other characters may be used; for instance, to simulate different seasons of the year.

It is to he understood that while I have illustrated and described one form of my invention, it is not to lbe limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

It will be obvious that use of the ball bearing 63 will cause less wear on the shaft 50 and pin 61 and prevent crawling of the pin 61 due to rotation of the shaft 50.

It will also be obvious Ithat the face 47 of `the drive wheel 46 may be covered with a non-metallic material and the periphery of the friction wheel 51 may be of metal with satisfactory results.

-It will be obvious from the foregoing that l have provided an improved animated amusement device wherein the dancing of the device may be tuned to the music and the animation increased or decreased as desired by movement of the cage in the housing. The speed of animation is also controlled as above set forth.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An amusement device of the character described comprising, a housing having upright corner members provided with fvertical elongated slots in one side face thereof, a cage having horizontal members, pins on said horizontal members engaging in said slots, an animated character having feet, means resiliently mounting said character on said cage, a foot engaging member mounted in said cage, a shaft transversely of said housing, a wheel on said shaft having a hard rubber facing, a crank arm on said shaft, a roller on said crank arm having `a resilient facing, motor means including a Wheel having a plane face facing the first named wheel for rotating said first named wheel on said shaft to cause said roller on the crank arm to strike said foot engaging member to animate said character, means for vertical movement of said cage in the slots in the housing to regulate the force of strike of said roller on said foot engaging member, and manually operable screw means carried by said housing in alignment with and engaging the end of the transverse shaft for moving said shaft laterally to change the point of engagement of said shaft wheel with the motor wheel for regulating the speed of strike of said roller on said foot engaging member.

2. A dancing toy comprising, an articulated figure, a housing for said figure, means resiliently supporting said gure in said housing, a paddle member carried by said housing for engaging -the feet of said gure, a shaft below said paddle member and transversely thereof and having a free end, spaced bearing members for supporting said shaft, a friction wheel on said shaft between the bearing members, an arm on the other end of the shaft, a roller on the free end of said arm for engaging the underneath side of said paddle member, a motor having a drive shaft extending transversely of said first named shaft, a drive wheel on said motor shaft, said drive wheel having a plane surface engaging said friction wheel for rotating said first named shaft, and screw means supported by said housing in alignment with and engaging the free end of the first named shaft whereby manual rotation of said screw means will move said first named shaft laterally of said drive wheel to change the point of contact of the friction wheel on said drive wheel.

3. A dancing toy comprising, an articulated figure, a cage for said ligure, means resiliently supporting said figure in said cage, a paddle member carried by said cage for engaging the feet of said figure, spaced bearing members below said paddle member, a shaft slidably mounted in said bearing members 4and extending transversely of said paddle member, a friction wheel on said shaft, an arm having one end secured to one end of said shaft, a roller on the free end of said arm for engaging the underneath side of said paddle member, a motor having a drive shaft, a drive wheel on said drive shaft, said drive wheel having a plane surface engaging said friction vwheel for rotating said first mentioned shaft, a stationary threaded bearing member in alignment with said iirst mentioned shaft, a threaded pin member engaging in said threaded bearing member having one end facing the end of the first mentioned shaft opposite said arm, the facing ends of said threaded pin and said first mentioned shaft being in axial alignment and said pin having a concave face, and a ball member engaging in said concave face engaging the end of the first mentioned shaft whereby manual rotation of said pin will move said rst mentioned shaft laterally to change the point of contact of the friction wheel on the drive wheel for regulating the speed of striking of said paddle member by said roller.

4. A dancing toy comprising, an articulated ligure, a cage for said figure, means resiliently supporting said figure on said cage, a paddle member carried by said cage for engaging the feet of said ligure, spaced bearing members -below said paddle member, a shaft slidably mounted in said bearing members and extending transversely of said paddle member, a friction wheel on said shaft, an arm having one end secured to one end of said shaft, a roller on the free end of said arm for engaging the underneath side of said paddle member, a motor having a drive shaft, a drive wheel on said motor shaft, said drive wheel having a plane surface engaging said friction wheel for rotating said first mentioned shaft, a stationary threaded bearing member in alignment with said first mentioned shaft, a threaded pin member engaging in said threaded bearing member having one end facing the end of the first mentioned shaft opposite said arm, the facing ends of said threaded pin and said rst mentioned shaft being in longitudinal alignment, one of said faces having a concave face, a ball member engaging in said concave face whereby manual rotation of said pin Will move said first mentioned shaft laterally to change the point of contact of the friction Wheel on the drive Wheel for regulating the speed of striking of said paddle member by said roller, and means for raising and lo-wering said cage for regulating the force of striking of said roller on said paddle member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lehman lFeb. 27, Hart Mar. 13, Rank lan. 23, Baldridge et al. Feb. 9, Allen July 25, Lauterbach Dec. 17, 

